Fake Princess
CHAPTER 94
His hands were folded peacefully in front of his stomach, but there was nothing inside. However, I finally saw a small metal container lying in the basin of his right arm. Holding my breath, I reached out, tried not to touch the astrologer, and took it.
Copper, with a lid tightly attached to it, so I was forced to slam it against the wall to loosen it. However, I finally managed to open the lid and reached into it, taking out a paper scroll. With a somewhat trembling voice from the strain, I read the contents out loud.
“ I realized, in these grim last few hours, I could not come to the God without saying it. I hid it, all these years, but the God knows everything, and I must admit it before I meet him. All the prophecies I made, I made them for him. I did it honestly. Except one. Regarding that, I will write it down now, and hope that the God will forgive me.
“ In the year of the crown princess' birth, the God sent this prophecy for her. I did not tell the king and the queen. Instead, I gave them a false prophecy, a prophecy that would make them think the princess would die unless they hid it. I was not alone in doing so, but even now, with the judgment of the God drawing near, I could not name the person involved.
“ The real prophecy, as yet unknown, I will deliver now. I saw a girl, alone, who did not know herself. He stood in front of the castle fortress, raising his head while looking at him from the outside, his hands were under the shadow of his body.”
That'sallthatis. I flipped the paper, hoping for something else, but found nothing. Slowly, I stared at Devan, just as a voice rang out in the dark tomb.
“ Who's there?”
“ Who's there?” the voice was urgent again. Footsteps echoed amidst the dry air of the monument, but it sounded doubtful, as if the person was unsure whether he wanted to investigate it or not.
A fusion of waves of horror and relief struck me as Devan handed his torch to me and soundlessly pulled out the sword hanging from his waist. I know he can use it because he often sees him training on the pitch. Despite that, I shook my head more urgently, and Devan nodded. Devan won't hurt the intruder, just scare him if he has to.
We did not have time to make plans, because right at that moment there was one figure, wearing a monk's long robe, arriving at the edge of the torchlight. The man was fat-bellied and his face looked tender. And, perhaps because he did not want to enter the tomb alone, the man clasped a stick in his right hand, looking ready to use it.
“ Who are you?” exacting. “ What are you doing here?” The man glared at us, but then he saw a torn shroud lying in disarray on top of the diviner's corpse. His face turned purplish as anger gripped him. “ Grave robbery! Disturbing the fortune teller! Come with me, or I'll—“
Seriate